Cassia Lord
by pickles1the2cat
Summary: Maxwell Lord is a wealthy businessman who is focused on saving the planet. But what happens when a teenage girl shows up at his penthouse claiming to be his daughter?
1. Chapter 1

**Maxwell Lord is a wealthy businessman who is focused on saving the planet. But what happens when a teenage girl shows up at his penthouse claiming to be his daughter?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, content, or ideas created by DC or the Supergirl franchise.**

 **Note: set directly after first season**

 _And the Earth keeps turning for another day._

Max sighed as he placed his thumb to the fingerprint scanner. A soft beep notified him that the door had been unlocked. He turned the doorknob, and walked into the foyer of his penthouse at Lord Luxury Apartments, owned by Lord Tech. Plush white couches surrounded a magnificent flickering fireplace, all of which matched perfectly with the professionally decorated room. He walked past, between two columns that lead into the kitchen. He approached his very large fridge, opened it, and reached automatically for the shelf occupied solely by Dr. Pepper.

Grabbing a bottle, he closed the fridge and headed back to the foyer. He took a drink of his Dr. Pepper, the crisp soda felt so good sliding down his throat. He sat down on one of the couches, sinking into the plush cushions. He relaxed, sighed, and closed his eyes. I had been a long day.

Something caused him to glance to his left, where he, horrifyingly enough, found someone sitting beside him. He leapt from the couch, choking on his soda. He looked back to where he had previously been sitting. There sat a teenage girl. She blinked at him with large, sparkling blue eyes.

"Hello," she said expressionlessly.

Max looked at her, terrified. A million questions flooded through his head, his mind settling on one, "How did you get in here?" He could hear the accusation in his voice.

"It may have escaped your notice, but there _is_ a door right over there," she said, motioning to the front door in a very mild tone. "Nice place, by the way," she said, looking around the room.

His eyes narrowed in on her, "Only I can open that door."

"Wrong," she answered, "Only your fingerprint can open that door. And seeing as a government official let me in, and also considering the fact that the government has every citizen's fingerprint on file, I think it's safe to wager that it is very possible that I got through that door."

Max glared at her as she rummaged through a small bag sitting beside her. "The government can't just let you in, that's violation of private property!" he hissed.

"Not when a minor is being dropped off at the residency of their legal guardian," the girl answered, not bothering to look up.

"What do you mean, legal gaur-" Realization dawned on him, and he spoke his next words slowly, "Legal guardian?" he asked, the words getting stuck in his throat.

As if on cue, the girl handed him a piece of paper. He glanced at it. He knew what it was- a birth certificate. His eyes scanned the top reading the name printed there- _Cassia Lord_. Immediately, his eyes flashed right below the first name to the line which said father under it. On the line it read- _Maxwell Lord_. He shuddered, looking at his name, written in unfamiliar handwriting. He calmed down enough to think straight. This girl couldn't be his daughter. There was a simple explanation for this- some poor, incompetent women wrote his name on her child's birth certificate. That's all. After all, he was a billionaire. Who wouldn't like to think he was the father of their child.

"Hello?"

The girl's voice snapped him back to reality. He looked at her. She had long, smooth, red hair, large, bright blue eyes, a small nose, and sharp jawline. She looked nothing like him. "Why did they leave you here?" he asked calmly.

The girl looked up, "They were running low on foster homes. I believe their exact words were, 'You selfish brat, why do you need a foster home when you have a parent able to take full custody of you?'" Her voice was dry and sarcastic.

A pang of sympathy hit Max, but was quickly quenched when he remember he was the "parent able to take full custody" they were talking about. "And what happened to your mother?" he asked, glancing at the blank on the birth certificate. _Sierra Holinoff_. He searched his memory for a Sierra Holinoff, but came to a dead end.

"She died," the girl answered shortly, "Two years ago. Cancer."

Max swallowed the lump in his throat, "I'm sorry to hear that, uhhh…" he glanced back down to the name on the birth certificate, "Cassia."

She glanced at him, "No use being sorry. It is what it is, and it's nobody's fault. Dying is a thing everybody does at one point or another."

Max looked at her. She was tough. Really tough. "How old are you?" he asked, glancing at her date of birth.

"Fifteen," she answered.

"Where are you from?" he asked again. This was starting to feel like an interrogation.

"Arkansas," she answered, a slight smirk on her face.

"Fancy," he said, "Like Bill Clinton."

"Unfortunately," she sighed.

He laughed. "Well, what wisdom do you bring from the great metropolis of Arkansas?"

"Hey," she said pointing finger at him, "Arkansas is the rice capital of the world."

"Oh, excuse me, the great _rice_ metropolis of Arkansas." He corrected himself.

She rolled her eyes, "Walk softly and carry a big stick."

"I'm pretty sure that is plagiarism." Max said frowning at her jokingly.

"What are you talking about? I thought I came up with that off the top of my head," Cassia laughed, "Teddy Roosevelt may have helped a little."

"Maybe just a little," he said, scratching the back of his head. He smiled at her, but quickly remembered that she would be leaving soon. "Cassia, I don't think you're my daughter," he said suddenly.

"What a relief," she answered sarcastically.

"I'm serious," he said sternly.

"I know," she answered calmly, "But there isn't anything I can do about it."

Max nodded. This girl was oddly calm about the entire situation. If she really thought he was her dad, wouldn't she be more excited about meeting him, and disappointed when he said he wasn't her dad? Silence issued, and he stood awkwardly for a few minutes before looking at his wrist watch, and realizing it was nearly one o'clock. "Uh, you can sleep in the guest bedroom, I guess." He led her up the stairs, and to a door on the right. "The suite has its own private bathroom," he said, opening the door. Cassia looked around and nodded, entering the room.

Max retreated, heading towards his own room. He undressed, sliding into bed. What was he going to do? A girl had shown up at his apartment, claiming to be his daughter. This could put some serious dirt on his name, especially is Cat Grant found out. Max was sure the woman would love to expose him for not paying child support for fifteen years. Cassia would have to stick around awhile, at least until he could get her back into foster care. Until then, he would have to make sure her arrival and supposed relation didn't get out to the media.

Also, he might want to run a DNA test, just to make sure. Max was positive to girl in the guest bedroom was not his daughter, but the Children's Bureau and the Department of Health a Human Services would want proof. Perhaps he could have the DEO run the test. They would have access to all records, and they might help Cassia find her real dad, if he was alive and able to take care of her. Additionally this would give him an excuse to talk to Alex. He couldn't help liking the twenty-five year old government agent. Her vast knowledge base was immensely attractive.

As he lay in a bed, drifting off to sleep, a name kept running through his mind- Sierra Holinoff, Sierra Holinoff. Where had he heard that name before? It was on the tip of his tongue. Then it hit him. He knew exactly where he had hear of Sierra Holinoff.


	2. Chapter 2

_15 years ago (give or take nine months)_

"Come on Max," Chris growled, "Let's go to that place across from the laundry mat."

"I'm not really feeling it, Chris," Max said as he lay in bed. Chris had recently walked through the door of his apartment after finishing his classes for the day.

"Come on. Jerry is coming, and Luke too." Chris plead as Max rolled over onto his other side.

"Go away Chris, I'm trying to sleep!" Max groaned throwing his pillow across the room.

"Max, it is eight o'clock at night. You are a twenty-two year old senior in college. Tomorrow is Saturday. This is the time to be out!" Chris began rummaging through Max's drawers. "Here, you can wear this," he said, throwing a pair of kakis and a dark button up shirt at Max.

Max huffed, rolled out of bed, and headed to the bathroom. He hated when Chris talked him into going out with the other frat boys.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Garry's, a nothing less than sketchy bar down town. There were several holes in the walls, and the roof was leaking quite substantially.

Chris approached he bartender, "Me and my boys'll take Scotch." He said, leaning against the bar. The bartender nodded, turning away to get their drinks. Chris had always been a little full of it. He seemed to have this idea in his head that he was a lot slicker than he really was.

The bartender returned with their drinks, "Here ya go," he said, sliding them across the bar.

An entrancing sound entered Max's ear as he drank his whiskey. He looked around, and found the bar had its own stage, where a very beautiful woman stood, singing. Max stared mesmerized at the girl long after she had finished her song.

She eventually noticed him looking at her, and walked over to him.

"You have a beautiful voice," Max said, half smirking, half actually smiling.

"Thank you…"

"Maxwell Lord," he replied cockily

She nodded back at him, moving closer, "Sierra Holinoff."

 _Present Day_

"Just don't touch anything, okay?" Max instructed Cassia as they rode the elevator to the laboratory of Lord Technologies.

"You got it, chief," Cassia said absently, fidgeting with a strand of her long red hair.

"And if anyone asks, you're my intern."

"Have you ever had an intern before?" Cassia asked skeptically.

Max glanced at her cockily, chuckling to himself, "No." The last thing he needed was some clueless kid getting in his way while he worked. Unfortunately, those seemed to be his exact circumstances.

He glanced at her. She was wearing a black jacket that was unzipped revealing a white shirt. Her skinny jeans were rolled up at the bottom, above her black converses. Though her outfit was well matched, it seem to be dilapidating, like old hand-me-down clothes. It was also what she had been wearing last night.

"Do you have any other clothes?" Max asked.

"Nope," she answered, "Just what I'm wearing."

He felt a wash of sympathy, but only for a second. An idea flickered to his mind. "Why don't I call someone to come take you shopping?" he asked.

"Are you that anxious to get rid of me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Max glared at her, and she smiled back sheepishly.

"Just kidding," she said nervously.

The elevator dinged, and they arrived at the lab. As they walked through the room, Max felt the eyes of his employees drifting over to the girl walking behind him. He glanced back at her to see how she was doing. To his surprise she walked through the lab with her chin held high and her shoulders back, completely ignoring any questioning looks given by the employees.

"What's this?" Cassia asked, looking at a diamond levitating above a platform, acting as a prism to the light that entered it.

"Nothing that concerns you," Max said dismissively, ushering her along. "Let's go to my office," he said, pointing to a hallway on the left. Once they had arrived at the office door, Max discretely typed in the code on the keypad. He then opened the door, motioning for Cassia to enter, and following her in.

His office was large, with an expansive desk on one side. A few chairs were positioned in front of his desk. He pointed to one for Cassia to sit in, which she did.

"Wait here." Max exited the room. Once in the hallway, he got out his cell phone. Scrolling through his contacts, he found Alex. He pressed her name, and waited with the phone by his ear while it rang.

"Hello?" came the always professional voice of agent Alex Danvers.

"Hey, it's Max," he began, "I could really use a big favor."

"I have a job," came the dry response on the other end.

"Yes, I realize that, but I have sort of a big issue-"

"Do I need to call in the DEO?" Alex cut him off, sounding as if she were itching for something interesting to do.

"No, not that big of an issue," he said hurriedly, "Look, just come to my lab. I don't really want to talk about it over the phone."

"Max, I don't have time for this." Alex answered.

"Please," he asked, "I really need your help." He mentally kicked himself. He never begged for anything.

Max heard Alex sigh, "Fine. I'll be there in ten."

Max felt himself smile as Alex hung up the phone. Now all he needed to do was keep the teenage girl in his office entertained for the next ten minutes. He took a deep breath as he walked back into his office. Upon entering, he saw Cassia holding a laser gun he had been developing.

"Put that down!" he yelled, leaping towards her.

"You could increase the size of the plasma tube," she said turning the gun around in her hands.

"What?" he asked, confused about the casual conversation the girl had begun.

"To increase the voltage of the laser," she replied, "You could increase the diameter of the plasma tube, or use a different medium for the laser."

Max was surprised by this response, but smirked at her in reply, "Increasing the diameter of the plasma tube would create a hazardous weapon. It would blow up in your face."

Cassia raised an eyebrow, "Then use a different material for the tube itself. Perhaps some sort of alien substance even. That would add stability to the gun, making up for the increased diameter of the plasma tube.

Max scrutinized her, "Where did learn how to build a plasma gun?"

Cassia smiled at him, "I didn't, but I am really good at this thing called common sense."

Max rolled his eyes, "Come back and tell me that when _you_ own a multi-billion dollar company."

"I will," she answered pompously, before laughing at herself as a result.

"So what do you like to do in your free time?" Max asked, trying to forcedly start the conversation back.

"I do yoga while quoting Shakespeare," she answered dryly.

"That's interesting," Max said slowly.

Cassia rolled her eyes, "I wasn't serious."

Max looked at her with a mock doubtful expression, "Whatever you say…"

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Max quickly crossed the room to open it. Alex stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. The slender brunette made him smile. He stood to the side to allow her to enter the room.

Alex notice Cassia as soon as she walked in, and she looked confusedly at Max. "Who is this?" she asked, looking at Cassia, who rolled her shoulders back and stuck her chin up.

"This is my intern," Max said, "Cassia." He hoped desperately that Alex believed him.

"You've never had an intern before." Alex looked at him suspiciously.

"Well, I decided to start," he answered decidedly.

Alex nodded slowly. "What did you need me so urgently for?"

"My intern needs your help… shopping." Max almost flinched at his request.

Alex raised her eyebrows, "You called me while I was at work so that I could take your intern shopping?"

Max grimaced, "Yes." He leaned in closer to Alex, so that he could whisper into her ear without being overheard. "She doesn't have any other clothes," he said through gritted teeth.

She looked at him, "Okay."

He handed her a credit card, "It has a twenty million dollar limit," he muttered.

Alex laughed, "I'm sure that will be enough." She turned to leave the room, and motioned to Cassia, "Come on, let's go."

Cassia got up from her chair, and followed Alex out of Max's office. As the two exited the room, Max sighed. Now he would finally be able to get some work done. As he walked back to his desk, he noticed a long red hair stuck to the chair Cassia had been sitting in. He smiled to himself, placing the hair in a Ziploc bag. This was just what he needed.

Later that evening, Max sat in his penthouse waiting on Alex to arrive with Cassia. He found himself anticipating the young girl's return. He heard a knock on the door, and jumped up to open it. Alex and Cassia stood in the doorway. Cassia walked in, but Alex remained where she was standing.

"I like you intern, Max," she said, looking at him suspiciously.

Max nodded, "Thank you."

"But I do think it's a little odd that you suddenly have a fifteen year old intern who owns no clothes, save the ones she's wearing. Are you related?"

Max's throat clenched, "No," he said calmly, a complete contrast to how he was feeling.

"Huh," Alex muttered looking quizzically at him, "So it's a total coincidence that she has the same last name as you?"

"Look," he said, trying to ignore the question, "I need you to run a DNA test for me." He handed her the Ziploc with Cassia's hair in it, as well as a bag with some of his own. "I need you to compare those two samples."

Alex looked at Max, "Is DNA testing your interns in the internship description?"

"She's an orphan-"

"Or at least you hope she is," Alex cut him off, taking the two bags.

Max froze. He knew Alex probably suspected, but he had hoped she didn't know for sure what was going on. She had probably dragged everything she wanted to know out of the teenager.

"I'll run your test, but I expect you to take full responsibility if things don't go how you want them to." Alex crossed her arms.

Max looked at her calmly, "There's no need to worry, I _don't_ have any children." He looked steadily at Alex, until she gave up the staring contest.

"Fine," she said.

A ring came from Alex's pocket. She reached for her phone, holding it to her ear.

"Hello?" A concerned look grew on Alex's face, sparking Max's curiosity. She didn't say anything for a while, just listened to the phone. Finally she replied, "I'm on my way."

"Who was that?" Max asked, trying to get some answers before she ran away.

"Kara," she answered, "A Kryptonian pod just crashed on Earth."


	3. Chapter 3

"He has to be a Kryptonian," Kara said as she peered into the face of the young man who had recently crash landed in a Kryptonian pod. The alien had yet to awake since being found.

Max crossed the room to get a better look at the incapacitated man. "That would make sense, since he landed here in a Kryptonian pod." He took the man's wrist in to his hand, feeling for a pulse. A faint, yet constant beating emitted. "He will be fine," Max said, "But he is weak right now."

Hank Henshaw, the director of the DEO, stood in the doorway. "I think it would be a good idea to keep some kryptonite in the room, just until we are sure this man is not a threat."

Max couldn't help but agree with him. If this man had the same powers as Supergirl and Superman, they needed to make sure he was on their side. "I agree," he said, nodding at Director Henshaw.

Alex, who had been standing at the far corner of the room, shot him an evil look, "And deteriorate his health even more? You said yourself that he was weakened."

Max knew there was nothing he could say to quench Alex's anger, because he knew this was not what she was angry about. She didn't really care about the effects of Kryptonite on their patient. She was much more concerned with his "daughter".

"This is a necessary precaution, Alex," Henshaw said firmly, "We know the disastrous effects of a Kryptonian gone rogue, thanks to Mr. Lord."

Max grimaced. He knew that the director was definitely not thanking him. Kara also blushed, obviously ashamed of her previous behavior as a result of exposure to Red Kryptonite.

"I apologize, again," Max said warily.

Alex only nodded tensely. She fidgeted restlessly with her hands, like she was trying to tie an imaginary knot.

Suddenly the lights went out, temporarily blinding them in the cavernous base.

"Initiate emergency backup generators," Alex yelled, taking charge of the situation.

The lights slowly came back on, lighting the room.

"What was that?" Kara asked, panic lining her question.

"I'm not sure," Director Henshaw answered with reassuring, yet at the same time, unsettling confidence.

An idea struck Max. He leaned over the young man, feeling his pulse again. This time, his pulse had increased in strength tremendously. He looked over at Director Henshaw, an amazed look in his eye, "I believe our patient has just absorbed the energy from the electricity in the building to help himself regenerate."

"Huh," Henshaw said, approaching the young alien, "Alex, order the Kryptonite to be prepared immediately."

"Yes, sir," Alex said, swiftly walking out the door. She left a cool breeze behind her that prickled Max's skin.

"But Director Henshaw," Kara began, "You could slow his recovery."

"That's the intention," he answered absentmindedly.

"But don't you think you should give him a chance first? I like to assume the best in everyone." Kara said, looking at Henshaw pleadingly.

"Assuming the best is how you get killed," Henshaw said sternly, "You have to be prepared for the worst, always."

Kara looked outraged. She stormed out of the room, leaving Max and Henshaw to themselves.

Director Henshaw sighed, and followed Kara out of the room.

Max looked back at the man lying in the hospital bed. He looked so peaceful. The slow rise and fall of his chest signaled life. He would wake soon.

"Clark is coming!" Kara yelled bounding into the control room where Max, Alex, and Director Henshaw had been discussing how they would handle the crash-landed alien when he woke up. Clearly the young superhero had gotten over her earlier disagreement.

An almost agitated expression passed over Henshaw's face, but was quickly subdued. However, not quickly enough, for both Max and Alex had time to catch it.

Kara was grinning from ear to ear. She bounced on her toes, swinging her arms by her sides. "He wants to meet our new friend," she said, referring to the unconscious alien.

"Superman wants to come inside the DEO?" Henshaw asked skeptically.

Kara continued to bubble with joy, "Yes, isn't it great? We're going to have so much fun!"

"How long is he planning on being in town?" Alex asked.

"Oh," Kara let out a surprised gasp, "I didn't even think about that. You'll be able to ask him when he gets here, though, which should be any minute." Kara looked down at her wrist, where a watch might have been at one time, but was not there currently.

As if on cue, a security monitor turned from the chair she was sitting in to speak to Director Henshaw, "Superman is here, sir. Shall I let him in?"

"Yes, go ahead," Henshaw said gruffly.

The woman nodded, turning back to her computer. A minute later, Superman entered the room, a security guard flanking him on either side. He had a big grin, which reminded Max of Kara. His jet black hair and square jaw gave him a very masculine appearance. He strode in, cape and all, the crest of the House of El was sew onto the chest of his outfit, just like Kara's.

Kara raced over to him, leaping into his arms. He twirled her around as they laughed together.

"It's so great to see you, Clark," Kara said as he sat her down, her blonde hair bouncing around.

"You too, Kara," he said smiling.

Though there were many differences in their appearances, they had one feature in common: a smile that never seemed to stop. The cousins wore huge smiles that seemed to be glued onto their faces, as if they couldn't stop smiling if they wanted to.

"Oh," Kara exclaimed, noticing the other people in the room standing around, looking at them, "This is Alex, of course," Kara said motioning to Alex.

"It's good to see you again, Alex," Clark said, reaching out to hug her.

"Good to see you again too, Clark," Alex said, embracing him.

"And this is Director Hank Henshaw," Kara said, motioning to Hank.

"It's been a while, Director," Clark said, nodding respectfully at Henshaw.

"Indeed it has," Henshaw replied rather unenthusiastically.

"And this is Maxwell Lord," Kara said, turning to Max, "He's this really smart billionaire who tried to kill me at one point, but then he helped up save the world, so it's all cool."

Clark grinned even wider (if that was possible) at Kara's introduction, "Nice to meet you," he said, holding his hand out for Max to shake.

"The pleasure is mine," Max said politely, shaking Clark's hand.

The room was quiet for a second before Kara started bouncing around again.

"Okay, do you want to come see the other Kryptonian?" Kara asked.

"Sure," Clark said, smiling as he let Kara drag him away by the hand.

"This should be interesting," Henshaw muttered to himself as the two walked away.

Alex leaned over to Max, "I'm going to go check to see if they have the DNA results ready. Do you want to come?"

"Sure," Max replied, and followed Alex down a hall.

Alex seemed tense, "I can't wait for another Superman fan festival," she muttered sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" Max asked, seeing comment as an invitation into a conversation.

Alex let loose, "Don't get me wrong, I love Clark, he's a great guy, but when he shows up, it's like he's Kara's only family. It's almost like my existence in her life just disappears, and it's all about Clark, Clark, Clark." Alex's voice was hushed and hostile.

"Maybe she's just excited because she hasn't seen him in a while," Max offered.

"I get that," Alex said, "But it goes way farther than that. When Clark shows up, she has no time for me. 'Where were you Kara?' 'I was with Clark.' 'What about our sisters' night?' 'I totally forgot.'" Alex growled with anger, "And when I try to confront her about it, she always comes up with an excuse. Clark is her cousin. I know Clark is her cousin, but I thought I was her sister."

They had come to a stop in the hallway, and were no longer walking forward. Unsure what to do, Max slowly wrapped his arm around Alex.

Alex gave him a warning look, "What are you doing?"

"Uh, were we not doing the whole comforting thing?" Max asked awkwardly.

"No," Alex said, shaking her head, "Take the arm away."

Max quickly removed his arm, side stepping slightly. This just became really awkward really fast.

Alex shook her head again, "On a completely different subject, where is Cassia today?"

Panic spiked in Max's chest. He had left with Alex last night, not telling Cassia where he was going. It was now well into the afternoon the next day.

"I'm not completely sure," Max said.

"It might be a good idea to figure that out," Alex suggested.

Now that Max thought of it, he had no way of reaching Cassia, or discovering where she was. "I'm going to go," he said, "Come by later when you find out about the DNA test results."

Alex nodded, and Max raced out of the DEO.

Max barged into his penthouse, hoping with all his might that Cassia would be here. "Cassia!" he yelled, running through the apartment.

"I'm in here," came her reply.

Max let out a deep breath, relief flooded through his veins. She was safe. He went in the direction of her voice, which seemed to be coming from the direction of the guest bedroom. Max walked into the doorway of the room. Cassia was lying on her stomach on the neatly made bed, her legs sticking up in the air behind her. In here hands she held open a very large book. Max walked closer to get a better look.

"Is that an encyclopedia?" he asked, perplexed by the young girl reading taste.

Cassia looked up as him, then turned to the front cover, keeping her spot with her other hand. She looked up again, amused, "Well what do you know, it is an encyclopedia."

"Why are you reading an encyclopedia?" Max asked, half amused and half bewildered.

"You don't have much of a selection."

Max shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Why don't you follow me," he said, turning to leave the room, and motioning for Cassia to follow, which she did.

They walked down the hall, and turned left into another corridor. At the end of this hallway were two large double doors. On the wall, to the right of them, was a fingerprint scanner. Max scanned his thumb, and the doors automatically swung open.

Cassia's jaw dropped as she peeking into the room, causing Max to smile. Books upon book lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Seating areas were positioned around the large library so that one could easily read in comfort.

"How's that for a selection?" Max asked her.

Cassia was almost unresponsive, as her eyes bulged out of their sockets, "So many books."

"Yes," Max agreed, "There are quite a few books. You can pick anything you want to read," he said, smiling at Cassia.

She turned to him, "Really?"

He nodded and she turned to the closest shelf, making her way around the entire library.

Max heard his phone buzz in his pocket. It was a text from Alex:

 _I'm on my way. There's something you might want to take a look at._

A few minutes later, Max opened the door for Alex to enter. Dressed in a tight fitting black shirt, black skinny jeans, a black leather jacket, and black boots, Alex looked very agent-ish. She hurried in, looking around nervously.

"She's yours," she said.

Max felt his heart drop into his stomach. This could not be happening, "Are you sure?"

Alex nodded, "Yes, I am definitely sure."

"But she doesn't look anything like me," Max protested.

"I agree," Alex said plainly, "But Max, I've spent a day with her. She may not look like you, but looks aren't the only thing you can inherit from your parents."

"What are you referring to?" Max asked.

"I'm referring to the fact that she acts exactly like you. She is so much like you, Max, it's creepy."

"But it's impossible," Max said.

"First of all, no it's not," Alex said, "And second of all, not only is it possible, it's the reality. She is your daughter."

Max's head clouded over. He couldn't think. He didn't know what to do. He had been so sure that there was no way Cassia could be his daughter, he hadn't even begun to imagine what he would do if she was.

"But Max, that's not all," Alex said, a very concerned look in here eye.

"What do you mean?" Max asked slowly, still trying to process what just happened.

"Well, the DNA she inherited from you was normal human DNA."

"Yes," Max said, unsure where this was going.

"But the other DNA was not human at all," Alex blurted out.

Max scrunched his eyebrows, "What do you mean it wasn't human DNA?"

"Max, I mean Cassia's mother was an alien."


	4. Chapter 4

Max's mouth dropped open. He was dumbfounded. "What?" he almost yelled, "What do you mean an alien? She can't be an alien!" He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it into a mess. It didn't make any sense. Cassia couldn't be an alien if she was his daughter.

Alex laid a hand on his shoulder, "Max, Max, calm down."

He relaxed slightly, gaining his self-control back. Did Cassia know she was an alien? The though crossed his mind. If she didn't, how was he going to tell her?

"Max," Alex began shakily, "I'm going to have to take her to the DEO so we can analyze he to-"

" _Analyze_ her?" Max spat the words out, cutting Alex off. He felt a very protective passion rising inside of him.

Alex raised her hands in a peaceful gesture, "Just to see if she has any powers. We don't even know what kind of alien she is."

"What kind of alien?" Max asked aggressively, "She's my daughter, Alex, and like you said, I am claiming full responsibility of her. And that means I'm not letting one of you probing cockroaches take her to a lab to be _analyzed_." The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to fully process what he had said.

Alex sighed, "I can't take her from you, Max, but the DEO will."

Max's blood boiled as he stared at Alex with piercing eyes. "And who is going to let the DEO know about it?" Max asked testily, his question bordering a threat.

Alex shook her head, "The DNA test was taken in the DEO. When recent activities are inspected by security, which takes place once a week, I'm sure they will notice."

Max glared at her, rage was filling every atom of his body. "Goodbye, Alex," he said turning away from her.

He heard Alex sigh, and walk to the door, but he didn't dare turn around until he heard the door shut. He knew Alex was right, the DEO would come to take Cassia, but being a genius billionaire did come with its perks. Such as having the equipment and manpower to combat a government agency.

Max was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps entering the room. He looked up to see Cassia looking at him with a worried expression.

"Hey," he said, smiling sadly at her.

"Hey," she answered back, "What was all that yelling about?"

"Nothing," he said.

By the look on her face, Max knew she didn't believe him for one minute, but she didn't persist on the subject.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out, almost coughing on his own words. The number of times he had given a sincere, heartfelt apology were few and far between. "I'm sorry for never being there for you.'

Surprise flooded Cassia's expression, "It's not your fault. You didn't even know I was alive."

"I should have," Max said remorsefully. He was feeling more emotions than he had felt in a very long time, "And when you were here, I convinced myself you weren't really my daughter."

Cassia seemed alarmed, "No, really, it's fine."

"I kept telling myself it was impossible, when really, I just didn't want it to be true."

Cassia was rigid, "I really don't blame you for anything," she said.

"Who else's fault could it be?" he asked, "I didn't want the responsibility of having a kid, and there is no one I can blame for that but myself."

Cassia said nothing. She just looked on at him.

His heart hurt. He didn't like the feeling. It had been bandaged up for so long, it had begun to harden and rot. Now it was like tearing part of the bandage off. It heart so much, all he wanted to do was put it back on. But he couldn't.

Suddenly, the door was being pounded on from the outside. Max froze, gathering his feeling, and locking them back up.

"Max, it's me," came Alex's voice from outside the penthouse, "Open up, quick!"

Max reluctantly walked to the door. When he opened it, Alex was panting. She looked up at him, her hair falling into her eyes.

"Our Kryptonian woke up," she said breathlessly, "Only he isn't a Kryptonian."

Max walked into the DEO, armed with his alien neutralizer. The DEO was on lockdown, and the now very much awake vigilante was loose in the building.

"Keep him in the building," Director Henshaw yelled, "We need to find him and get him in a cell, now!"

Max automatically chose a corridor to walk down. Keeping his back to the wall, he scanned the hall for the young alien. The lights flickered. The alien must be injured, and trying to regenerate himself using the energy from the power. Max cautiously turned a corner. He saw the young alien crouched down, holding his hand. The alien looked up, and threw himself towards Max. Max pulled the trigger of his gun, which sent a blast into the young man's chest.

The alien fell to the ground thrashing. He was immobilized, but not unconscious.

"I've got him," Max yelled. Two DEO agents came running from other hallways, and dragged the alien away.

Max followed them into one of their isolated rooms, occupied by a clear glass cell. They threw the man into the cell, and Max pressed the button on the wall, closing the door to the cell. The young alien struggled to get up from the ground.

Shortly after, Kara, Alex, Clark, and Director Henshaw walked in. The two agents who had carried the alien to his cell left, and Alex closed the door behind them.

"What's your name?" Kara asked the alien in a fierce tone.

"Why would I tell you that?" the alien asked, still struggling to get off of his face.

"Because we can help you," Henshaw said seriously.

The alien smirked, "My name is Mon-El. I'm from Daxam."

"I knew it," Kara breathed, an accomplished look on her face.

Max snorted, "I'm pretty sure you your exact words were, 'He has to be a Kryptonian.'" Max raised his voice several octaves, giving an insulting imitation of Kara.

Kara scowled at him, quickly turning back to the Daxamite, "What do you want, Daxamite?"

Mon-El let out an exasperated sigh, "I want to get back home."

Max looked at Kara, "You seem to be using the word Daxamite in a derogatory way. Care to explain?"

Kara glared at Mon-El, "Daxam was the sister planet of Krypton. The two planets were constantly at war because of Daxam's awful society. Daxamites are rude and selfish."

Mon-El looked up, annoyed, "Um, we were at war because the Kryptonians attacked us."

Kara looked abashed, "We most certainly did not!"

"You know, you Kryptonians are all the same," Mon-El said, "So self-righteous. You think you know everything."

"Why, you," Kara sputtered, her face growing red.

"Enough," Henshaw commanded, "We don't have time for bickering. Mon-El," he said, his attention on the Daxamite, "As soon as you decide to comply we can let you out of that cell."

Mon-El had finally found his way to his feet in the time he had been arguing with Kara. "Fine. I comply immediately," he said.

Henshaw nodded to Alex to open the door to Mon-El's cell.

"Wait," Kara yelled, "He's a Daxamite, you can't trust him to keep his word."

Alex opened the door anyway. Mon-El walked out, looking very smugly at Kara.

"And Kara, you're in charge of training him," Henshaw blurted out rather quickly.

Kara's jaw dropped, "You can't expect me to teach him anything, he has the mental capacity of a peanut."

Mon-El was no more enthusiastic, "I would learn more from a rat."

"Hush, both of you," Henshaw said with quite a bit of intimidation, "Mon-El will need to remain at the DEO until we know the full extent of his powers."

Mon-El and Kara looked at each other warily.

"Go," Henshaw said, causing them both to jump into motion, "Start. Now."

The pair speed walked out of the room, bumping into each other on purpose, and not caring to apologize.

Later that day Max was back at his penthouse. He had gotten Chinese takeout on his way back from the DEO to share with Cassia. When he arrived, he found her in the library, a stack of books lying beside her.

He thought about bringing up the fact that she was half alien. She had a right to know, and she might already know, but how to tell her, Max had no idea. That was a big deal.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Good," she answered, getting up from where she had been laying in the floor. She ran a hand through her hair, and began gathering her books that were still on the floor.

"I picked up some Chinese, if that's okay," he said.

"Yeah, that's fine," she said, "I'm not picky."

They headed out of the library and into the kitchen, were Max had left the food. He got the to-go boxes out of the bags, right before the door was busted open. He knew this was coming, he had just hoped it wouldn't be this soon.

Hank Henshaw stood in the door way shaking his head. "Hand her over, Lord, we don't want anyone to get hurt." DEO agents filed into the room from behind him.

Max glanced at Cassia. No trace of fear could be seen on her face. Max instinctively placed himself in front of Cassia, "You can't take her."

"Max," Henshaw said, "Get out of the way."

Max turned to Cassia standing behind him, "Run," he whispered, "To the library, and shut the doors."

Cassia didn't hesitate. She broke out in a sprint, dart out from behind Max. But the DEO agents followed her, and caught her. Each of her arms were held by an agent as they roughly escorted her out. Max lunged for her, tackling one the agents holding her, but three more came rushing in. They pulled Max off the first guard, and pinned his arms behind his back.

Max struggled against the weight of the three other men as the first two walked out of the penthouse with Cassia. Max did the only thing he knew to do. In one quick motion, he jerked his arm away from the men holding him down, reached for his concealed holster, and pulled out a handgun.

He heard shouts of "He's armed! He's armed!" coming from the agents. But Max wasn't thinking, he was doing. He aimed the gun at the head of one of the agents holding Cassia, and pulled the trigger. The man fell to the ground. The bullet had hit its mark.

Henshaw rushed over to the downed man as the three agents on top of Max wrestled his gun away from him. Henshaw pulled out a walky-talky, he face was stony.

"I need an ambulance, stat," he yelled into the radio. He then look over to Max, his eyes full of regret, "What did you do?"

Max continued to struggle against the wait of the men on top of him. He had to get Cassia. He would not let them take her.

"We'll have to take him too," Henshaw said.

Max continued to fight the men. He was unrelenting. He would not let them take Cassia.

Henshaw sighed, pulling out a tranquilizer gun. He aimed it at Max, "Why did you do that?" he asked, and pulled the trigger.

The needle landed in Max's arm, and he felt himself losing consciousness as his vision went dark.


	5. Chapter 5

"You idiot!"

Max's eyes fluttered open. He took in his surrounds. He was in one of the clear glass cells of the DEO. Alex Danvers stood on the outside of his cell, looking like she was about to tear him apart.

"Hi, Alex," he said calmly.

His unconcerned comment seemed to enrage her even more. "You shot one of our agents," she seethed.

Max considered her statement, "Yes."

"Are you not sorry?" she asked hostilely.

"Is he dead?" Max asked, still maintaining his calm demeanor.

Alex glared at him, "No, but you did manage to completely take off his ear."

"Then no," Max said, "I'm not sorry I shot him."

Alex slammed her fist against Max's cell, but he didn't flinch. "So you would be sorry if he was dead?" she asked.

"I would be sorry he was dead," Max answered, "But I wouldn't be sorry that I shot him."

Alex looked at him disdainfully, "You're heartless Max, you know that?"

Max looked at her, "Are you sorry that you killed Astra?"

"Yes, of course I am," she answered.

"So you're sorry you saved your Martian friend's life?" Max inquired.

Alex looked shocked, "Of course I'm not sorry I saved J'onn's life, but I am sorry I had to kill Astra to do it."

"And even though you are sorry you killed Astra, are you really sorry that she is dead? Are you sorry that you eliminated a huge threat to our entire world?"

Alex didn't answer. Instead, so waited a minute, then brought up a different subject. "We ran a few tests on Cassia," she said.

Max felt his fists clench. His jaw went rigid as he slowly got to his feet.

"Her DNA is unknown to our database," Alex said.

"You don't know where her mother was from?" Max asked, still in a calm voice.

"No," Alex answered, "She is the first of her kind for the DEO to come in contact with. Even J'onn is unsure."

"What about Kara?" he asked.

"Kara doesn't know what she could be either, but she was going to ask the hologram of her mother."

Max nodded, almost relieved. He didn't know why, but he was glad the DEO didn't know what kind of alien Cassia was.

"She claims that she didn't know her mother was an alien, but she wants to speak with you."

Max's eyes lit up, "Send her in immediately."

Alex nodded and walked out the door. She returned a minute later with Cassia.

The flaming-haired girl looked as confident as ever, with her chin held high. She walked towards Max, her face expressionless. Once she had arrived in front of his cell, she turned back to Alex, who nodded and left the room.

"Are you okay?" Max asked, panic edging his tone.

"I'm fine," she said. She stood for a moment, beginning to look nervous, "I need to tell you something."

Max swallowed the bad feeling he had about this, "What is it?"

"They told me my mother was from another planet, and asked me if I had experienced having any special abilities."

Max nodded, unsure what she was going to say next.

"I told them no," she said biting her lip, "But that's not true."

Max's stomach lodged in his throat. He only nodded, urging her to go on.

"This is going to sound weird," she said, fidgeting with her hands and continuing to bit her bottom lip, "But, I know what people are thinking," she finished.

Max froze, "You mean, you can read minds," he asked. Max thought for a minute. Did she always know what he was thinking? She had never seemed surprised by anything he said.

Cassia nodded, her hands continuing to fidget.

"You should tell them," Max said, though he wasn't sure he really meant it.

"Really?" Cassia asked. Obviously she knew he was uncertain.

"Yes," he said, biting his tongue, "Maybe they can help you."

She nodded. Looking at him for a long time before turning and walking out the door.

Later that day, Max was laying on the small, uncomfortable bed in his cell, though it didn't really look or feel like a bed. It was more of an elevated platform. Alex walked in, looking exasperated. To Max's surprise, she walked directly over to the control panel on the wall, opening the door to his cell.

He looked at her quizzically as he stood, not making any sudden movements. Was she really letting him out?

"We need your help," Alex said begrudgingly, "There's something wrong with Mon-El, our Daxamite."

"What?" Max asked, slowly moving towards the exit of the cell, afraid moving too fast would cause Alex to change her mind.

"He got shot." Alex said.

"Bullet's don't bounce off of him?" Max asked.

"Apparently not," Alex answered, "Though it seems everything else does."

"What do you mean?" Max asked, now cautiously stepping out of his cell.

"We couldn't pierce his skin with a needle, and he seemed to have superhuman strength like Kara."

"Maybe lead is his weakness, like Kryptonite is to Kryptonians." Max said, moving faster now that he was out of his cell.

Alex looked at him, almost exited now, "That's what I was thinking," she said.

"How did he get shot?" Max asked as they walked out of the room together.

"He snuck out to a bar and got into a fight," Alex answered, "With the entire bar."

Max snickered, "The entire bar?"

Alex smirked back at him, "Yeah, I heard it was going pretty good until one of the other guys decided to pull a gun."

They walked into the operation room where Mon-El was laid out on a tale. The young Daxamite was sweating considerably, and seemed to be about to have a seizer.

Director Henshaw was standing over him, and looked up at Max when he entered. "Are you trained in bullet removal?" he asked.

"Not really," Max answered, "But I can remove it."

"That's good enough for me," Henshaw said, and backed away from the patient.

Max moved over to Mon-El. He face way ashen, and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. The bullet had entered his arm, where it was deeply embedded. Max studied the wound.

"I'm going to need surgical scissors, some sterilization wipes, a swaged need, holders, forceps, and a Dr. Pepper," Max said, automatically analyzing the wound, "The needle, and scissors will have to be lined in lead so that they will puncture Mon-El's skin, but not the actual sutures. And the Dr. Pepper is for me, by the way. For anyone who though I was going to use it to sterilize his wound or something."

One of the agents in the room ran off, returning a minute later with a tray containing everything he had asked for.

He took a drink of the Dr. Pepper, then began the operation. First, he took one of the sterilization wipes, and wiped away the blood so that he could see the wound better. Then he took the scissors and the forceps. He moved the forceps around in the wound, looking for the bullet. He found it, but the wound was not wide enough to remove it. Mon-El was moaning while he worked, but Max continued to work, knowing they didn't have time to find and use anesthesia. He began to cut small amounts of dead skin with the scissors, so that he would be able to bet the bullet out. Once the skin was cut open enough, He slowly brought the bullet out with the forceps. He laid the bullet on the tray, and reached for the sterilization wipes. He wiped down his forceps and scissors, then he cleansed the wound.

Once he was sure the wound was clean, he picked up the needle holder in one hand and the forceps in the other. He then picked up the needle with the holder, and pulled it through on side of the wound, pulling it out with the forceps. He then pushed the needle through the other side of the wound. He tied the suture off, bisecting the gap in Mon-El's skin. He continued this process until the wound was closed.

Mon-El seemed to quiet his whimpering, and his breathing became stronger. Max turned around, leaning back on the stool he had been sitting on. "He's going to be alright," he said, "If he doesn't improve in the next few days, I would recommend chelation therapy. It will remove any lead that is still in his body."

"Thank you, Mr. Lord," Director Henshaw said, nodding to Max.

Max returned the nod, and turned to exit the room. As he did, Alex came up beside him, and they walked from the operation room together.

"That was amazing," Alex said. She looked at Max with admiration, a welcomed alternative to the usual disdain.

"Yeah?" he asked, swelling with pride. A complement from Alex was hard to come by.

"Yeah," she answered. She looked up at him for a while, before shaking back into reality. "By the way, you're free to go now," she said

Max looked at her sadly, "I can't leave without Cassia."

Alex looked back at him, "I'm glad," she said, "That you feel so protective of her."

"Protective?" Max asked skeptically.

"Oh, don't even try to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about," Alex said, punching him lightly in the arm.

Max smirked at her, "You're right."

They were standing in the middle of the hallway. Alex drew closer to him.

"So you're going to be staying here?" she asked. She was now so close she had to look straight up to meet his eyes.

"As long as I need to," he answered, noticing the closing gap between their lips.

"Hey Alex!"

Alex jumped away from him at the sound of Kara's voice.

Max, frustrated at not getting a kiss, glared at Kara.

Kara glanced between them, confused, "Am I interrupting something?" she asked, a disgusted tone in her voice.

"No!" Alex said quickly, "No, Max and I were just talking about his daughter."

"His daughter?" Kara asked, confused and interested at the same time, "Max, I didn't know you had a daughter."

"Neither did he," Alex said, trying to continue the conversation away from where it had started.

Max rolled his eyes, sighing.

"What?" Kara asked, sounding shocked, "He never got charged for evasion of child support?"

"Um, no," Alex said, "But it does turn out that his daughter is the half alien that we brought in earlier."

Kara looked at them, her eyes bulging, "What? Where have I been? When did this happen?"

Alex ignored the question, "And also, Max shot one of our agent's ear off, and just finished pulling a bullet out of Mon-El and sewing him up."

Perhaps Alex was attempting to make Kara forget what she just almost saw with a rush of new information. Max wasn't sure if it would working or not, but Kara was definitely distracted for the moment.

Kara looked at Max, "Wow, you've been busy."

Max nodded, still annoyed at the conversation he was stuck in.

"Oh, Kara, by the way," Alex began, "What did your mom have to say about Cassia?"

Kara shook her head, "She doesn't have enough information to determine where Cassia's mother is from," Kara answered, "But so far all of the .possible aliens are already in the DEO's database."

"Earlier today Cassia told me about a possible power," Max said, "She said she can read minds."

Kara raised her eyebrows, "That's interesting. I should go tell the hologram about that. It will definitely narrow down our search."

A darkness began to slowly envelope them, until it was pitch black.

"What is this?" Alex asked. Max heard her fumble with what must have been a radio, because seconds later he heard her say, "Sir, what should we do?"

Director Henshaw's voice came back, "Standby, agent Danvers. I believe this is alien activity."

"Talokite," Kara muttered nearby.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"They can manipulate darkness," Kara answered.

Max remained calm as he stared into nothing. He couldn't see his hand when he held it right in front of his face.

"I'll get that across to J'onn," Alex said, "Sir?" she spoke into her radio.

No answer came.

"Sir?" she said again.

Still no answer.

"He's not picking up," Alex whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

Max rushed down the hall after Alex. The darkness had, just seconds ago, drifted away, and the DEO was once again completely lit.

"J'onn!" Alex called as she flew through the corridor, frantically searching for her Martian friend.

They rushed into the room where Max had taken the bullet out of Mon-El's arm. Mon-El still lay in his bed, asleep, unaware of what was going on. In the corner of the room, Director Henshaw stood frozen, covered from head to toe in ice.

Alex rushed to him, with Kara right behind her. She stared at his frozen figure, wide eyed.

"What happened to him?" she breathed. She seemed to be in shock.

"Stand back," Kara ordered, practically dragging her sister back from the frozen man. Lasers shot from Kara's eyes as she slowly began to thaw the Martian.

Once the ice had been completely melted, Henshaw collapsed, but was quickly supported by Alex.

"Get some dry clothes, warm blankets, and some hot tea," Max said to an agent who was standing by.

The agent rushed off, coming back with the first two items Max had asked for, and rushing off again to get the third. Max took the clothes, and took Henshaw from Alex's support.

"You two might want to turn around," Max said to Alex and Kara, which they did. He then began to undress and redress Henshaw.

Once he had gotten dry clothes onto him, he turned to Alex, "Is there a bed anywhere we could put him in?"

Alex nodded, "Follow me." She grabbed the warm blankets and headed out of the room.

Max, still supporting Henshaw, followed her down the hall, coming to a room similar to the one they had just been in. Max laid Henshaw down on the bed, followed by Alex, who then wrapped him in the blankets. Henshaw was conscious and shaking violently.

Alex kneeled by his side, stroking his forehead. She looked worried. She turned around to look at Max, "He's still really cold."

Max nodded, "I'll go get the agent who was getting the tea." He headed out of the room, backtracking to the room where they had first found Henshaw. With perfect timing, the agent who had gone to get the tea turned the corner, carrying a thermos.

"Here you go, Mr. Lord," she said handing him the thermos.

Max nodded, and rushed back to Henshaw. Once in the room, he handed the thermos to Alex. "He needs to drink this," he said, "Warm fluids will increase his body temperature."

Alex nodded, taking the thermos. She helped Henshaw sit up, but he was still shaking badly. She unscrewed the lid of the thermos, and held it to his lips. "You need to drink this," she said soothingly as she slowly tilted the thermos back. Henshaw swallowed, to everyone's relief. Alex continued giving him sips of the tea at a time, and his shaking became less and less.

Henshaw looked at Alex, then Max, "Thank you," he said weakly to both of them.

A smile cracked Alex's face when she heard his voice. "I'm so glad you're okay," she said, holding his hand, "What happened?"

Henshaw shook his head, "I'm not sure." His breathing was shallow. "There was darkness, and then I was frozen. I didn't see anyone, but I could hear one of them thinking. They were scared."

"We should go talk to my mother immediately," Kara said.

Alex nodded, helping Henshaw out of bed. The man struggled to his feet, resting most of his weight on Alex.

Max jumped to help her, "Let me help him," he said, attempting to take Henshaw from Alex.

"No, I've got it," Alex said.

Max shook his head. He wrapped Henshaw's arm around his neck, and placed his hand on his back to support him. Alex glared at him, but did not protest. They exited the room, following Kara to where the hologram of her mother was.

When they entered the room, Kara walked over to the hologram of the tall, dark haired Kryptonian.

"Hello, Kara," the hologram said robotically, "How may I assist you?"

"We're looking for an alien who can freeze things," Kara said.

"That would most likely be a Tharrian," the hologram said, "From the planet Tharr, where the inhabitants have developed the ability to generate or manipulate ice as a resulting adaption to extremely high temperatures on their planet."

"What about Talokites?" Kara asked the hologram.

"Talokites are from the planets in the Talok system. Some Talokites have the ability to manipulate and create darkness impenetrable by light."

"Alert a search team," Henshaw said to Alex, "We need to keep a look out for those two."

Max froze as a thought cross his mind, "Where is Cassia?"

Alex froze as well, then bolted out of the room. The others followed, searching the area for Cassia. Alex ran into a room with a bed in the corner. She stopped, looking around the room.

"She should be in here," Alex said, wide-eyed.

Max felt his stomach flip-flop, "What do you mean, 'She should be in here?'" Max hissed at Alex.

"She was in here," Alex began, "I… I don't know where she is."

Max gritted his teeth, fighting back his rage. "So," Max began slowly, "You kidnapped my daughter, and then you lost her?"

"I'll find her," Kara piped up, "They couldn't have gotten far. I'll fly out and see if I can find them."

Kara sped from the room. Max began to walk from the room as well, but Alex grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey," she said, "We'll find her."

He looked at her for a while, finally jerking his shoulder away, and walking out the door. He didn't have the time or patience to rely on Supergirl to find Cassia.

"I want every single helicopter we have out scanning the area," he said to his manager of aviation, Clyde Ramsey, who was scurrying along behind him.

"Yes, but Mr. Lord," the man said in a squeaky voice, "We don't have enough pilots to fly all the helicopters."

Max turned around, "Well then, find more pilots," he said.

"But, but, sir, where do I find more piolets?"

"Mr. Ramsey, I suggest you get every single helicopter in the air, one way or another, or you will find out just how dispensable you really are."

Ramsey's eyes filled with terror, "Yes, y… yes, sir," he blabbered. The short man hurried away.

Max sighed, massaging his temples. He had to find Cassia. He had no idea where those aliens took her, or why, but he was going to find her.

A minute later he himself piloted one of his helicopters. He scanned National City for any suspicious activity. The headlights he had developed and installed in his helicopters would turn red when they cross over alien life.

Max turned when he heard a banging on his window. Kara hovered beside his helicopter. He opened the door, and she leapt in, closing the door behind her.

"I think I found her," she said excitedly.

"Where?" Max asked anxiously. He was getting worried.

"Follow me," Kara said, opening the helicopter door and jumping back out the window.

She flew out in front of him, and Max followed. They flew over the city, headed out of town. Kara flew down to an old building that was nestled outside of the city. They landed, and hustled into the building. Max raised his handgun as they entered the dank, old factory. Old machinery lined the wall, most of it looking as though it hadn't been used in decades. A few lights flickered on and off, giving the small space an eerie look.

Kara walked over to a door, kicking it open. She motioned for Max to follow her. They walked into another room. This room had a cage in the corner where a girl with red hair sat.

"Cassia," Max said, rushing over to her, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, sitting up, "I'm fine."

Max heard footsteps, and turned around. Two figures stood in the dimly lit room. When they saw Max and Kara, they turned to run, but they weren't quick enough. Kara caught them, knocking the first out with a punch. The second fell to the ground, checking on their companion.

"Please don't hurt us," came a female voice. She sounded panicked.

"You'll be fine as long as you cooperate," Kara said.

"How do you get her out of here?" Max demanded.

Kara walked over, and bent the bars of the cage to the side, creating a big enough hole for Cassia to get out. Max reached into the cage to assist her in exiting.

"Let's go," Kara said, picking up the incapacitated figure and throwing them over her shoulder.

They hurried out of the old factory. Max had one arm raised, pointing his gun at the figure who was still conscious, and the other arm wrapped around Cassia.

He boarded his helicopter with Cassia and the conscious figure, who appeared to a girl with blond hair. He then followed Kara, who was still holding the first captive, to the DEO.

Once they had arrived, they hurried inside to find Alex and Director Henshaw waiting. Beside them stood Superman, Jimmy Olson, and Toy Man Jr.

Max and Kara led the two prisoners into a glass cell together so that they could be easily interrogated. They were followed by the entire group of people who had been waiting on them.

Max studied the two prisoners. The first, whom was kneeling over their unconscious friend, was a young girl, who appeared to be around the age of twenty. She had long, blond wavy hair, and her skin was a sun kissed tan color. Her face was round, with a petite nose, and she seemed to be no more than 5'4".

Then other prisoner looked much different. For one, they were a bright, light blue color, and looked to be a young man, around the same age as the girl. He had black hair that fell to his shoulders, perfectly framing his diamond shaped face. When his eyes finally fluttered open, they proved to be the same color as his skin.

"What are your names?" Director Henshaw asked.

The girl spoke, for the boys was still quite disoriented, "My name is Ral Fintnv, and this Nakaar Kelt, my fiancé."

"Where are you from and why are you here?" Director Henshaw continued.

The girl answered again with surprising cooperation, "I am from Tharr and Nakaar is from Talok V. We are here because we were imprisoned by the master. We do not wish to stay."

Max and Alex exchanged a glance. Kidnapping people to kidnap other people for you? That was a new twist.

"Why did your master have you kidnap this girl," Director Henshaw asked, pointing to Cassia.

"The Lamorian?" Ral asked. No one in the room responded, so Ral continued on her own, "For her organs, of course."


End file.
